“Throughout his career Richard Gere has established himself as an accomplished actor and producer and yet still finds time to support crucial cultural and humanitarian causes,” said festival chairman Harold Matzner.

Gere, known for past performances including Chicago, Pretty Woman and An Officer and a Gentleman, stars in Lionsgate/Roadside Attraction's Arbitrage, in which he plays New York hedge-fund magnate Robert Miller, who on the eve of his 60th birthday is desperate to complete the sale of his trading empire and makes an error that forces him to turn to an unlikely person for help.

Past recipients of the Chairman’s Award include Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Dustin Hoffman and Nicole Kidman.

Hosted by Mary Hart, the gala will honor previously announced recipients including Bradley Cooper, Sally Field, Helen Hunt, Helen Mirren, Naomi Watts, Robert Zemeckis and the cast of Argo.